Freelancing Sucks

Saturday, December 13, 2008

There are some easy to implement yet efficient ways that you can follow in order to increase your Google Adsense income.

Place Multiple Ad units

Google allows each web page to show three ad units and three link units per page, you should be using all six units on each page on your blog or website. Remember that the best way to measure the effect of multiple ad units is to check the effectiveness of ad placement by measuring your overall earnings.

Multiple ad units may prove particularly successful for:

Pages with lots of text, requiring users to scroll down the page.

Forum or message board pages, particularly within threads.

Pages where only smaller ad formats (such as the 125 x125 button) will fit.

Tip for maximizing multiple ad units: make sure that the ad unit with the best placement on the page is the ad unit that appears first in your HTML code. This will help ensure that your prime ad real estate is occupied by the ads that place highest in the auction and will generate the most revenue for you.

Find out how to define the first ad unit.

Place the Ad units in good spot

Depending on the type of content and web design format, you can tweak the page and place the ads in the best spot where the ads are visible. In order to maximize click-through ratio you can employ several tactics such as blending in ads into the body of the content and having a sidebar that displays Adsense ads as well as additional links to free content on your site. This way, the user is almost forced to see the ads while investigating what additional topics are on your website.

Optimize the ads on your blog

When working with a blog, you're facing some interesting ad implementation challenges: a predetermined page format, highly targeted content, and regular visitors, among other things. To make the most of your readership and content, here are a few suggestions:

Blend ads into your blog

To increase the likelihood that your readers will see and click on your ads, blend your ad units into the background of your blog. Choose a bold color for the ad title to help draw attention to your ads, then make sure that the background and borders of your ads are the same color as the background of the area where the ad is placed.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

If you aspire to be a writer but are not sure how to get into it or if you are someone who has been writing for a while and is now looking at going into freelance writing then you are probably asking how to find freelance writing jobs. The internet has really opened up the world of writing and made it so much easier for those who are interested and skilled in writing to find freelance opportunities.

The first place that all aspiring freelance writers should check for freelance writing opportunities is on freelance jobs boards such as are available at websites such as freelanceworkexchange.com, elance.com and guru.com. The process is simple and all you will need to do is register with the website and then browse the opportunities that they have available and then tender for the different freelance writing opportunities that are available. Just by using these boards alone you will probably find that you get more than enough work but should you still want more there are other places you can look as well.

Many websites for writers also offer jobs boards which present freelance opportunities. Freelancewriting.com for example has its "Jobs Bank"; "Freelance Writing Jobs" is a blog that alternates posts of interests for writers with writing jobs that are available, writersweekly.com is an ezine that also has useful information for freelance writers as well as advertising various paid markets for freelance writers.

If you are still looking try using email groups such as Yahoo groups that offer writing groups, posting to forums and joining virtual communities. If you are brave enough you may even want to try contacting some websites directly and ask them if they accept work from freelance writers and if they can send you their editorial calendars and writing guidelines. There really are plenty of places for you to seek freelance opportunities on the internet and soon you may find yourself with so many freelance writing jobs that you will find yourself focusing more and more on just one or two of these methods of finding writing work.

If you enjoy writing, have a knack for using words and would like to start freelance writing then start by looking at the big freelance jobs boards such as freelanceworkexchange.com, elance.com and guru.com, these often provide more than enough work. If you still feel you would like more then look for freelance writing websites, email groups and forums. Getting into freelance writing has never been so easy and there are plenty of freelance opportunities available out there so take a look and you will soon enjoy the advantages of freelance writing work.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Are you a frequent traveler and you want to share to the world your adventures and make money from it? Most young and passionate travelers are now into travel blogging but not all of them are optimizing their blog enough to make money online.

Most number of frequent travelers are those people who does not work in a corporate setting and many of them are freelancers who earns money online for their travel funds. I still have a day job but my traveling expenses are covered by my blogging money. Its fun to travel, how much more if you are earning while on vacation?

Here are some simple steps and techniques:

1) Make your own Blog. You can create a blog using Multiply, Friendster, Myspace, and BlogSpot but unfortunately you cannot tweak and control the design in order for you to optimize you blog earnings. Consider buying a domain name, pay for web hosting and install wordpress for you to have a total control on your blog design and layout.

2) Join Google Adsense and other PPC program. Once you already have a blog with decent content, You can start joining Pay Per Click programs like Adsense. Make sure to place the ads on the header, sidebar and in the content section of your blog. You will not earn that much on your first month but once accumulated, you can use it to buy plane tickets.

3) Join Feedburner. Once you joined feedburner, you can add a subscription form for your blog readers. Each time you post updates or new blog post, your subscribers will automatically receive your new blog post via email. You can also earn from your feeds by adding Google Adsense on your RSS. The more they see your content, the better chance they’ll click on an ad (and therefore, the better chance you’ll get paid)

5) Sell travel related products. Even if your readership is increasing, start selling travel related products by joining Amazon, Chitika and Widgetbucks. I started selling books on my blog and I'm earning more than enough for me to buy travel guide books and photography books that i can read. Joining an affiliate program is always free and its easy to implement on your blog too.

I know several travel bloggers who are earning on their blog by just writing about their travel experiences. Blogging is not complicated, it only require passion, dedication and time.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Im not a boxing expert as a matter of fact I only watch boxing on TV whenever Pacquiao is on the boxing ring. I know all of us are rooting for Manny but based on what I've gathered, some betting sites shows De la Hoya is favored 2 to 1. But overall, lets just agree with Freddie Roach: De La Hoya's size advantage isn't all it's cracked up to be. Of course, I'm for PacMan all the time.

I saw the Manny Pacquiao Vs. Oscar De La Hoya Fight predictions at the ESPN site and this one stood out..."After 5 toe to toe rounds of boxing, pretty-boy Oscar Dela Hoya will be coming out of the ring looking like his opponent Manny."

Needless to say that the source of this comment thinks that Pacquiao's face always looks like it's just been beaten up.

Monday, December 1, 2008

AW surveys is a Pay per Survey site that claims to provide "the new survey experience" while each participant earns per survey answered. Once you signed up for free as a member, you will get a $6.00 Welcome Survey.

Just like website review survey sites, they pay US$4 by taking a survey in which you will be reviewing two unique sites by just looking at the main page of the site. Most of the sites available for review are mainly survey and affiliate program sites but you are not obligated to sign up to receive your survey fee. You can also earn additional USD1.25 for each referral that you can make.

In order for you to receive your payment via PayPal, your accumulated earnings should be at least USD75.00. You will initially receive several surveys that will make you earn USD26.00 and the rest of the surveys will be emailed to you but they will encourage you to check the website more often since some surveys are not being emailed.

I already signed up and I currently have USD26.00 earnings in my account but I'm not receiving additional surveys at this time. According to some forums, A.W. is a scam and they will not send you anymore surveys after completing all available surveys. The weird thing is that A.W. Surveys has a very good traffic rank and some members are also confirming that they received payments from AW Surveys.

So is A.W. Surveys a scam or not?

I'm a risk taker, I still decided to join since Its free to join this Survey Site so why no try?

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Nufnang, the first blog advertising company in Asia which originated in Malaysia is now in the Philippines! Nuffnang was launched last August 27, 2008. This advertising network offers a CPM ad system wherein you get paid when there's a new unique visitor that visits your blog.

Nuffnang is a popular blog advertising network in Singapore and Malaysia. Payments will be sent to you via Paypal Account, Check or Bank Transfer 30 days after you have reached the minimum amount of 2,000 Pesos. Im using it in my other blogs and Im earning from it, Im not reaching yet 2,000 though:)

Saturday, November 29, 2008

A freelancer is a self-employed person who does work in one or more of a number of professions. The most common freelancer professions are writing, editing, photography, web design, graphic arts and computer programming. Rather than being an employee for a business, freelancers sell or contract their work to their clients. This article considers the challenges that freelancers face and helps you make the decision as to whether freelancing is for you or not.

Working as a freelancer seems like the ideal opportunity - flexible hours, good pay, the opportunity to fit your career in around your other commitments (rather than vice versa, as is often the case). But there are considerations that you should take into account before making the decision to go freelance.

Why work as a freelancer?

Most of us have thought at some point that freelancing would be a great opportunity - usually on a cold, wet Monday morning. No travelling to work on a crowded bus or sitting in traffic; no boss shouting in your ear telling you what to do; in fact, no need to get off the couch until midday.

Freelancing does come with a large number of benefits but it isn't an easy option. You need to consider why you want to be a freelancer.

Good reasons for freelancing include:

Family commitments - if you're caring for another person such as a child or elderly relatives which makes it impossible to work regular hours, freelancing will save you the journey to and from part time work, and allow you to be flexible with your time

Extra income - if you've already got a job but it doesn't pay well and you have at least 3-4 hours a week you could devote to earning extra money, freelancing will allow you to earn that extra income whilst keeping your existing job.

In addition to looking at your motives, you may want to consider the following issues:

Tax breaks

As a freelancer you'll be self-employed and so working from home means that you can claim a fair proportion of expenses against any tax liability. For example, if you use a room in your house you may be able to claim a proportion of cleaning, mortgage interest, council tax and home insurance costs against your tax bill, provided that an area of the home is solely in business use for a significant amount of time.

Flexible Working

If you already have a job and you’re in the UK, your employer may be under an obligation to consider allowing you to work flexitime (they do not have to grant this request, however).

Discipline

Do you find it easy to concentrate on a project? Or are you quickly distracted by chatter, the television, magazines, children or other things that surround you? Freelancing from home requires discipline - the ability to shut out all distractions and concentrate on the job in hand. If you're not particularly disciplined, you'll find that in the absence of your boss to keep an eye on you, your attention is diverted by the constant stream of chores and distractions that keep you away from the computer.

Solitude

If you enjoy the company of your associates at work, freelancing at home may come as a bit of a shock. Freelancers don't have the chatter and bustle of a busy office - which can be an advantage, in terms of concentration, but it can also make for a rather lonely existence during work hours. If you love the company you get at work and need to have people around you, freelancing might not be for you.

If you're still considering freelancing as an option, think about how in your life you can replace the interaction you'd get from work. If you have a partner, don't rely on them to be your entire social network when they come home from work every day - you'll have no experiences to share and little to talk about. Join a gym, a class or a group so you have the circle of friends that you would have had as an employee.

Space

Don't be fooled into thinking you can work at home in the living room if you have two lively toddlers around you in the day. Neither is the cold garage, the windowless attic or the cluttered box room a good environment for home working. You need a comfortably heated, well-lit, tidy room that you can organise your belongings in, free from (the majority of) interruptions. Granted that if you don't have that space, you may have to improvise but the important thing is that you have some space to yourself that is comfortable, practical and sufficient to allow you to arrange your books, journals and notes without them being covered in coffee stains or used for drawing paper. It is also highly advisable not to use a bedroom or living room because you'll have nowhere to relax when you're finished and you'll end up feeling like you're at work every minute of the day.

Time Management

One of the most difficult aspects of freelancing at home is time management. Freelancers often choose to work at home so they can fit their work around their life - but this very thing makes freelancing a challenge. It is necessary to draw a line between work time and leisure time, setting aside certain parts of the day for working and certain parts to deal with other commitments. If no line is drawn, you'll find little errands: 'making the kids a snack', 'running to the shops', 'checking your emails', take up a huge portion of the day. The answer is to create a routine for your freelance work: have the same portions of the day set aside for work, plan reasonable breaks and stick to the planned finishing time. Turn off your mobile if you can, or have a separate number for work and for private calls. Don't forget that you do need to take regular breaks from your screen for the sake of your health.

Support Team

Whilst you may be considering freelancing so that you can support others, having your own support team is vital to the success of your lifestyle choice. Firstly, family and friends need to understand your decision and know that you aren't always available for a chat or to go for lunch. Secondly, you need to appreciate that freelancing at home is still a job and if your children get sick and you don't have any help, you'll have to sacrifice your work time for your other commitments. Like any other job, if you don't work, you don't get paid. So consider building in advance a 'support team' - people who can help when things go wrong. It's especially useful as a parent if you have back-up people to collect children from school or nurse them when they're ill. The better your support team as a working parent or carer, the more chance you have of making this succeed.

No work?

One final, but vital, consideration for those considering freelancing full time. Can you afford to sustain yourself if there's no work available? Many freelance opportunities are seasonal and you may find during the off-peak times that work is thin on the ground. If you need a regular, reliable income, you may be better off freelancing part time and working part or full time.

If you're interested in writing for Academic Knowledge from home as a freelance writer, click here to apply.

Link Exchange?

In you want to request for link exchange or any other inquiries, please don't hesitate to contact me here. I will only entertain freelancing, finace, make money online related blogs for link exchange inquiries.